Armature construction



May 28, 1946. E J, ALLEN 2,400,902

ARMATURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 6, 1944 ll I I v INVENTOR. fawn/ao .IAMEN Patented May 2s, i946 ARMATURE CGNSTRUCTION Edward J. Allen,Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Lecce-Neville Company,

corporation of Ohio Cleveland, hio, a

Application September 6, 1944, Serial No. 552,873

v(Cl. 171-206) 4 9 Claims.

This invention relates to armatures for rotary electric machines such asgenerators, motors and the like, and aims to provide an improvedconstruction for connecting the conductors of the` armature with thecommutator segments.

In the building of armatures of the kind having paired conductors lyingin axial slots of the armature body, difficulty has been encounteredheretofore in connecting the `ends or terminal portions of theconductors with the commutator segments. This has beeen particularlytrue in regard to the underlying or so-called submerged conductorbecause it is not readily accessible for performing a welding operation:

The present lnventionseeks to eliminate this diiiiculty and provides animproved construction for an armature of this type, wherein the terminalportions of the conductors are constructed and i'sposed so as tofacilitate the formation of a strong Welded connection between theconductors and commutator segments.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved constructionfor an armature of the character mentioned, in which the, terminalportion of the underlying conductor has an upstanding angular lug of aheight to provide excess material for forming a weld for connecting theconductors with each other and with the commutator.

As another of its objects the present invention provides an improvedconstruction for an armature of this character, in which the segments ofthe commutator have portions defining a riser having slots into whichthe terminal elements of the conductors extend and the terminal elementof the underlying conductor has a radial lug extending across the end ofthe overlying conductor and which is preferably of a length to provideexcess material for forming a weld.

The invention can be further briefly summarized as consisting in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andparticularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Fig. l is a partial side elevation with certain portions broken away,showing an armature embodying the novel construction of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a developed View, somewhat diagrammatic in form, showing thepaired conductors and the relative positions of their terminal elements.

Fig. 3 is a partial end View of the armature.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view showing the terminal portions oftheconductors ready for welding to a commutator segment, and

Fig. 5 is a similar partial plan view after the terminal portions of theconductors have been welded to the commutator segment.

Proceeding with a more detailed description of the invention, I show anarmature I0 having a body II of a conventional construction and providedwith axial slots I2. The armature I0 is provided with a commutator I3comprising individual segments I3a insulated from each other and havingupstanding portions disposed in an annular series and defining a slottedriser I4. Each of these upstanding portions comprises a pair of lugs I3bhaving a space or slot I3c between such pair of lugs. The armature Inalso includes pairs of conductors I5 and I6 disposed in the axiallyextending slots l2 and forming the winding of the armature.

As shown in the drawing, a pair of the conductors I5 and IB is disposedin each of the ar.- mature slots I2 and the paired conductors arearranged so that the conductor I5 is above or outwardly of the conductorI6.v For convenience of description the conductor I5 is referred to asthe overlying conductor and the conductor IS is referred to as theunderlying or submerged conductor. The conductors I5 and I6 have ends orterminal elements I5a and I6a which extend into the slots I3c of thecommutator riser I 4 for forming an electrical connectior` between theconductors and the commutator segments.

To facilitate the connecting of the terminal elements I5a and Isa witheach other and with the commutator segments, I provide the terminalelement IGa of the underlying or submerged conductor with an upstandingangular lug or projection I1 which extends across the end face of y theterminal element I5a and in a direction outwardly or substantiallyradially of the commutator I3. The lug I1 is of a length .such that itsfree end will project somewhat above the periphery of the riser I4 thusproviding excess material for the formation of a weld I8 for connectingthe terminal portions I5a and Ita with each other and with theircorresponding commutator segment I3a.

As shown in the drawing, the end of the terminal element I5a lies insubstantially abutting relation to a side face or edge of the lug I1 andsuch lug and adjacent end of the terminal element I5a are both locatedso as to lie in one of the slots I3c of the riser I4. The terminalelements I 5a and IBa are of a thickness in comparison with the width ofthe slot I3c so as to be snugly received in the latter and the lug I1 isof a width approximately equal to one-half the axial length of the lugs|317 of the riser.

In Figs. l, 3 and 4 of the drawing I show a pair of the terminalelements |5a and lia in position in one of tne slots |30 of the riserand ready to be welded. The welding operation can be carried out by anysuitable welding equipment such as the welding tool 20h shown in Fig. 1and which is provided with a suitable electrode or welding rod 2l forapplication to the projecting end of the upstanding lug IT. The weldingcircuit is established through a conductor 22 connected with the weldingtool 20 and a conductor 23 having a terminal member 24 thereon forengagement with the commutator segment to which a particular pair of theconductors of the armature are being welded. During the weldingoperation the terminal portions |5a and Isa become softened or fused andare joined or welded to each other and to the adjacent lugs lib of thecommutator riser Il. 'I'he excess metal contained in the upstanding lugI1 spreads or flows over and between the terminal elements |5a and I6aand the adjacent lugs l3b of the riser so as to integrally unite all ofsuch parts into a strongly welded electrical connection. The weld IB asthus formed is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will nowbe readily seen that the present invention provides an improvedconstruction for an armature of this character in which the underlyingor submerged conductor is more readily accessible for performing awelding operation. It will be seen also that the improved constructionreduces the time and labor required in producing armatures of this kindand results in a stronger and more satisfactory connection between theconductors and the commutator segments.

In the specification and claims I have referred to the connectionbetween the amature conductors and the commutator segments as beingformed by means of a "weld but it will be understood, of course, thatthis connection can also be formed by soldering, fusing, brazlng or thelike and that my invention includes all equivalent connections oi' thiskind.

While I have illustrated and described my improved armature constructionin more or less detail it will be understood, oi' course, that I do notwish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention as includingall changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In an armature of the character described, an armature body havingwindings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements anda commutator having pairs of spaced connecting portions disposed in anannular series, said paired terminal elements extending into the spacesbetween said connecting portions with the upper element in overlyingrelation to the lower` element, said lower element having an upstandingportion thereon and the corresponding upper element having its outer endin substantiallyv abutting relation to said upstanding portion.

2. In an armature of the character described, an armature body havingwindings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements, acommutator comprising segments having portions defining a slotted riser,said terminal elements extending in 'paired relation into the slots ofsaid riser with the upper element of each pair overlying the lowerelement, the lower elements of such pairs having upstanding lugsdisposed in the respective slots of the riser and the upper elementshaving their ends in substantially abutting relation to said upstandinglugs.

3. In an armature of the character described, an armature body havingwindings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements anda commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series,said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between thecommutator lugs with the upper element in overlying relation to thelower element, said lower element having an angular upstanding lugdisposed in one o! said spaces and the corresponding upper elementhaving its outer end in substantially abutting relation to one side ofsaid upstanding lug, said upstanding lug having a height somewhatgreater than the depth oi said one space so as to provide excessmaterial for forming a weld for uniting said terminal elements with thecommutator lugs.

4. In an armature of the character described, an armature body havingwindings thereon including paired upper and lower terminal elements anda commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series,said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between saidlugs with the upper element in overlying relation to the lower element,said lower element having an angular upstanding portion disposed in oneof said spaces and the corresponding upper element having its outer endin substantially abutting relation to one side of said opstandingportion, said upstanding portion having a height somewhat greater thanthe depth of said one space and a width approximately equal to one halfthe axial length of the commutator lugs.

5. In an armature oi the character described, an armature body havingwindings thereon in cluding paired upper and lower terminal elements anda commutator having pairs of spaced lugs disposed in an annular series,said paired terminal elements extending into the spaces between thecommutator lugs with the upper element in overlying relation to thelower element, said lower element having an angular upstanding lugdisposed in one of said spaces and the corresponding upper elementhaving its outer end `in substan tially abutting relation to saidupstanding lug. and a weld connecting said upstanding lug and outer endof the lower terminal element with each other and with a pair of thecommutator lugs.

6. In an armature of the character described. an armature body havingwindings thereon including upper and lower terminal elements, acommutator having pairs of spaced connecting portions disposed in anannular series, said terminal elements being in paired relation with theupper element of each pair overlying the lower element, the lowerelements of the pairs having opstanding lugs disposed in the respectivespaces between said connecting portions and th'e upper elementsextending into said spaces and into substantially abutting relation tosaid upstanding lugs, and welds connecting the terminal elements of eachpair with each other and with the con-.`

necting portions of said commutator.

7. In an armature of the character described, a slotted armature body, acommutator having a. slotted portion adjacent the slotted armature body,and pairs of conductors in the slots of the armature body and havingtheir ends disposed in paired relation in the slots of the slottedcommutator portion with one end of each pair underlying the other end,the underlying ends of said pairs having portions extendingsubstantially radially of the commutator and across the overlying endspaired therewith.

8. In an armature of the character described, a slotted amature body, acommutator having a slotted riser adjacent the slotted amature body, andpairs o! conductors in the slots of the armature body and having theirends disposed in paired relation in the slots o! said riser with one endof each pair underlying the other end, the underlying ends of said pairshaving portions extending substantially radially of the commutator andacross the overlying ends' paired therewith and such radially extendingportions being of a length to project outwardly beyond the periphery ofsaid riser so as to provide excess material for forming a weld.

9. In an armature of the character described,

'a slotted armature body, a commutator having a slotted riser adjacentthe slotted armature bodyl pairs of conductors in the slots o! thearmature body and having their ends disposed in paired relation in theslots of said riser with one end of each pair underlying the other end,the underlying ends of said pairs having portions extendingsubstantially radially of the commutator and across the overlying endspaired therewith and such radially extending portions being of a lengthto project outwardly beyond th'e periphery of said riser so as toprovide excess material for forming a weld, and welds connecting saidpaired ends with each other and with said riser.

, EDWARD J. ALLEN.

